She is one of the most famous pop stars on the planet, but as the famous saying goes, there are only two certainties in life: death and taxes.
Not even Shakira is immune from the latter, as the Colombian pop star has avoided a potential 8-year jail term by striking a deal with Spanish authorities for unpaid taxes.
The 'Hips Don't Lie' singer was charged last year with defrauding the Spanish government, who claimed that she owed them €14.5 million in unpaid taxes between 2012 and 2014, when she lived in Barcelona for a period of that time. The singer was formerly married to former FC Barcelona player Gerard Pique.
She initially claimed they were "false accusations" - but the government doubled down and added further charges to the list.
The government sought an 8-year prison sentence and a fine of €24 million, but just as the trial was set to begin yesterday it was announced that she had reached a settlement - at least for the first round of charges - by agreeing to pay a fine of €7.3 million, a 3-year suspended sentence and a further fine of €432,000 for having the sentence waived. She will also now have on her legal record that she is guilty of tax fraud.
She released a statement saying: "I have made the decision to finally resolve this matter with the best interest of my kids at heart, who do not want to see their mom sacrifice her personal well-being in this fight. I need to move past the stress and emotional toll of the last several years and focus on the things I love, my kids and all the opportunities to come in my career."
Earlier this year, Shakira went viral with a diss track written about her former husband Pique after he allegedly began a new relationship with a 22-year-old student.
